Together We Can Change the World
by Tritone
Summary: Obito's eyes awaken the Sharingan just in time to grip Kakashi's shirt and pull him away from the blow that was meant to take his eye. He can see the world in focus. Every detail. Every motion. Every hint of chakra. They'll save Rin, and together they can change the world.


Obito could see the cave where Rin was taken. The opening was small but considering that his enemy was ninja from the Hidden Rock Village, Iwagakure, there was a chance that the cave had been constructed with a just and could extend deep into the hill.

'Get yourself together, Obito,' he though to himself as he slapped the sides of his face to make humbled focus on the task at hand._ 'No crying!' _

But just as he was ready to go, his blood went cold at the sound of a man behind him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Obito felt as if the world slowed down as he turned, wide-eyed to meet his enemy. But before either had a chance to act, white chakra enveloped Obit's vision.

The Iwa ninja fell to a lower branch, blood spurting from the fresh wound on his chest. Obito's comrade Kakashi stood in his place with his white light chakra tantō held before him.

"That blade," the man said with a scowl, "that belonged to the fearsome White Fang of Konoha!" Then he laughed, "but you're just a brat."

"It was a moment from my father," Kakashi replied not shifting from his offensive stance.

'Kakashi said that emotion was a useless burden,' Obito though, _'yet he carries his father's blade? The blade of the White Fang who disgraced himself by putting his comrades before a mission, and took his own life when our village vilified him.'_ Obito's eyes stung behind his goggles. _'Kakashi, did you really care about Rin and I after all?'_

The Iwa ninja sneered. "Nothing to worry about then." His right hand formed the hand seal for Earth Release and his body soon became transparent then disappeared entirely. His presence was masked by the just and left only the sight go the great ancient forest behind him.

Kakashi sniffed the air. His senses were naturally more attuned due to his clan heritage. The Hatake clan was one that bonded with ninja dogs known as ninken, and that bond strengthened their hearing and sense of smell like that of a dog's. But despite this, Kakashi could not catch a wife of the man's sweat nor blood. "His smell is gone," he said to Obito, "listen for any sound of his presence. He can mask his smell, but he will still interact with the environment."

"uh, where…" Obito began, but Kakashi heard the sound of the man's sandal grip the wet mossy bark behind Obito.

"Behind you!" He yelled moving to protect his comrade.

Once again, the world moved in slow motion for Obito, but this time his eyes caught sight of every detail. An invisible force cut through the air and up Kakashi's cheek, his blood revealing the top of the man's blade which would take his teammate's eye if Obito did not act.

He grabbed the back of Kakashi's shirt and tugged with all his might. The blade cut from his cheek to his brow, but due to Obit's intervention, it cut shallow over Kakashi's eye lids. The hazy figure retreated, and a bloody kana dell to the forest floor.

Blood ran down Kakashi's face, the mask he wore slit beneath his injured left side.

"Kakashi!" Obito cried, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," he grunted, "it's not as bad as it looks, thanks." He pressed his hand to his face in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "He's smart and threw the kana marked with the smell of my blood away. I can't track his presence. Keep your guard up!"

'Kakashi came to my aid,' Obito thought as he clutched a kunai in his own hands, _'I can't let anyone down! I'll protect Kakashi and save Rin!'_

A blur of hazy brown moved in Obit's peripheral vision as it came up behind him. The figure came into focus, resembling a man. As it was upon him, Obito spun to face the invisible enemy and plunged his kana into his stomach. The man with the hazy brown chakra revealed himself as he could no longer maintain the jutsu to keep himself hidden.

"H-how? How could you possibly see me?" He gasped, spitting up blood between his teeth.

"You can't hide from me!" Obito snarled. His black irises had turned red with a black ring around the pupil. One tome swirled into place.

"Obito, your eyes!" Kakashi exclaimed. "You awakened your Sharingan!" The enemy ninja's lifeless body was left forgotten as if slumped on the wide tree branch.

"I–I can see chakra," Obito said in disbelief. It wasn't all he could see: the world came into focus, every detail, every movement of the leaves, it was all seen by his pinwheel eyes. He took off the goggles he wore for so long to protect his eyes that had yet to awaken the Sharingan that his clan was known for. He turned to his friend. "Is your eye okay?"

"Yeah," Kakashi sighed, "thanks to you." He reached into his pouch for the medical kit that Rin gave him earlier in the mission. "The swelling isn't so bad yet, so I can probably still open my eye. But I need you to help bandage the gash so I can keep the blood from blinding me."

"Right, of course!"

The shallow cut along his eye lids has already begun to clot, but his cheek and brow continued to bleed profusely. Obito bandaged above and below the eye and secured it with bandages wrapped around Kakashi's head who tentatively opened his eye. The swelling kept it from opening all the way, but it was manageable.

"We can't just run in there," Kakashi said, "we know that there were two men back when Rin was taken, but there could be more hidden inside. I need you to quietly look into the cave with your Sharingan and see if there are any more ninja hidden inside."

"Right," Obito replied. Both of the silently landed on the forest floor and ran out of sight of the cave entrance.

With his back against the rock, Obito peered inside. Rin sat up against the back wall motionless, her chakra swirling unnaturally. One Iwa ninja grumbled to himself before her, yet there were no sight of another chakra signature anywhere else in the cave. He turned to Kakashi besides him and raised on finger.

Kakashi signalled for Obito to go first. He'd back him up with his father's tantō. Obito nodded and headed inside with Kakashi close behind him.

Upon hearing the two step into the cave, the enemy ninja turned to face them. "Ugh, seriously?" He groaned, "beaten by a couple of kids. What a disgrace."

"There's something wrong with Rin's chakra," Obito said, "the flow is different from ours."

"She's under a genjutsu to gather information about our mission," Kakashi replied, "but it looks like his efforts have yet to produce results."

"It may be two against one," the man said, "but I out class you. You can't take me out like you did with Taiseki."

The boys sprung into action, Kakashi with his chakra blade and Obito ahead of him with just his bare hands. The enemy revealed two hidden blades attached to each arm, but it was futile against Obit's Sharingan which could see every twitch of his muscles and predicted the swing. He ducked below the blades while Kakashi leaped above to deliver the killing blow. Obito could see the blades move towards his friend, so just as Kakashi was in range, Obito braced himself with a hand in the dirt and slammed his feet against each of the Iwa ninja's forearms leaving him with n defence and exposing his vulnerable neck.

Kakashi's white blade cut into the man's neck meeting little resistance in the soft tissues beneath his skin. Blood spilled from his mouth unable to make a sound as the blade cut through to the other side. His eyes went wide at the sight of the two boys whom he had greatly underestimated and would take his life. His body hit the dirt with a _THUMP _and the boys left him to choke on his own blood.

Kakashi kneeled before Rin and created the Earth Release seal calling out, "kai! Release!"

She awoke from the haze of the genjutsu with a start, and stared at her teammates with wide eyes.

"We came to save you, Rin!" Obito cried with a smile.

"Obito, your eyes!" Rin said before looking at the other boy with a gasp, "Kakashi! Your face!"

"It's fine," Kakashi said, "there isn't any time. I can hear the enemy reinforcements coming. They must have sent a message out before Obito and I arrived. We can't stay in here or they'll bury us in the rock. Let's go!"

The three of them ran out of the cave and into the clearing outside, but they were too late. Enemy ninja surrounded them on all sides.

"There's too many of them," Obito said with dismay.

"Don't worry," Kakashi whispered, "Rock Release is weak to lightning, so stick to lightning just and hope that none of them happen to know any wind jutsu."

"But I only really know Fire Release! I haven't learned how to use any other chakra nature yet!"

"Obito, you idiot!" Kakashi yelled, his hands quickly forming the seals for his original jutsu, the Chidori. "Just copy me!"

Obito's eyes saw every detail in Kakashi's hand signs as well as his lightning blue chakra vibrate and collect around his hand. His own hands moved to mirror his friend's, and his own chakra buzzed and transformed into Lightning Release. At once, two thousand screeching birds sounded in the hands of the young shinobi.

"Minato told me not to use this, but it's our only chance," Kakashi stated. "Your Sharingan will allow you to overcome the tunnel vision that this jutsu causes, so let's work together, protect Rin and finish our mission!" Kakashi took off running, his Chidori tearing up the ground beneath his feet.

"I don't know how you are or what you did with Kakashi," Obito laughed, "but I'm starting to actually like you!" He ran in the opposing direction. The Iwa ninja were ablaze in Obit's eyes each with their own chakra colour. They appeared to move in slow motion as Obito bolted towards each ninja. He saw and predicted every movement of the enemy as they reach for weapons or formed hand seals, but their were useless against the ruthless speed and power of the Chidori. It was invigorating yet terrifying. He could feel his chakra tear through the flesh and bone of his targets, their bodies convulsing as the lightning chocked their muscles. Blood burst from severed arteries and the putrid smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. His eyes stung with tears, but he pressed forward never daring to close his red eyes.

_'__Come on, Obito,'_ he thought to himself, _'they're the enemy! They hurt Rin! So don't you dare cry!'_

Kakashi and Obito returned to Rin's side as their Chidori fizzled out. They had taken out many of the Iwa ninja whom surrounded them, and while some were more cautious to approach, they still had the advantage of numbers.

"We have to keep up the pressure," Kakashi said as wiped the blood from his bandaged eye. "We can't give them a chance to get closer."

"At least let me heal that cut of yours, Kakashi," Rin said while examining the bloody gash that nearly cost him his eye.

"There isn't any time!" Kakashi replied sternly. "The enemy is approaching!" Chidori burst from his hand once more, and sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Your going to exhaust your chakra," she said frantic.

"Whatever happens," Kakashi gasped, "we must complete our mission. Too much depends on our success." He took off with a flash of lightning chakra.

"Don't worry, Rin," OBito said as he activated the lightning attack in his own hand. "I won't let you _or_ Kakashi die here, and we'll finish this mission together!"

Obito sprung into action once more keeping Rin and Kakashi in his peripheral vision. They were making progress in lessening the number of Iwa ninja but as they continued to fight, more caught on to the shortcomings of the jutsu. Obito could see his target move to attack what would be his blind spots were he not an Uchiha, but with a kunai in his non-dominant hand, he deflected the blows. He felt untouchable.

Until he saw Kakashi heading towards a ninja with a blade swinging towards his unprotected side. He was moving to fast to dodge the attack, so Kakashi stretched out his hand with the sound of one thousand birds in an attempt to take the ninja down with him.

"Kakashi!" Obito cried desperately trying to reach his friend in time to deflect the blow. But he was too far away even with the speed of the Chidori. All Obito could do was watch the blade slice through Kakashi's side in excruciating detail as Kakashi's own hand pierced through the man's chest. The sound of birds subsided and the world was silent as Obito watched the two ninja fall to the forest floor.

Hitting the ground knocked the wind out of Kakashi and his bleeding side stung from the impact. Obito ran towards him but stopped upon hearing Kakashi order, "idiot! I'm fine! Protect Rin! If she's hit, we're both doomed!"

"R-right!" Obito responded with tears welling up in his eyes.

Another ninja took the chance to charge at Kakashi as he struggled to stand. He was too exhausted to use ninjutsu, so he pulled a kana from his pouch to block the incoming blow. The Iwa ninja was above him, they're blade grinding together, but all Kakashi could see was the distinct three pointed blade and writing up the hilt of the kunai Minato gave to him not long ago.

_'__I'm sorry, Minato,'_ he thought as his hands shook from his draining strength and loss of blood. _'I made my father's mistake. You'll have to complete the mission without me, but I get the feeling that you'd be proud that I came to Rin and Obit's aid, and that's enough for me.'_

Suddenly a flash of yellow streaked across his vision, and the ninja who held him down staggered back clutching his bleeding neck. He gurgled and choked on blood as he fell to the ground.

"Kakashi!" Rin cried, her hands glowing green with medical ninjutsu as she moved to kneel besides him.

"Obito!" Minato yelled as he threw his signature kana across the battlefield. "Protect your teammates! I'll handle the rest!" In a flash, he was gone, and screams of shock and pain quickly followed.

"Right!" Obito replied sniffling but smiling at the sight of his sensei. "Those ninja don't have a chance now that Minato-sensei is here!"

"Obito," Kakashi said, his voice hoarse, "ninja don't cry."

"Sh-shut up, Bakashi!" Obito wiped his eyes furiously. "I'm not crying! I just…I just…"

"We thought you were going to die," Rin said softly, "so…so let us care about you, okay?" Kakashi looked tiredly at her own eyes welling up with tears of their own. "I thought you both were going to die because of me," she said.

"You shouldn't cry for me," Kakashi said. "I only came because of Obito. If it wasn't for me going against my orders, I'd have abandoned you."

"But you didn't abandon us," Rin smiled as tears rolled down her face and past her purple markings to drip onto her hands which were still held over the closing wound.

"Yeah," Obito said with a pout, "I mean, I could have totally saved Rin by myself, but you were cool too."

"What did I do to deserver to crybabies for teammates?" Kakashi sighed, but beneath his mask he smiled. It wasn't so bad, caring for other people.

Minato dropped down beside them. "You guys have come a long way," he said with a smile.

"We haven't completed the mission yet," Kakashi said, but he didn't make an effort to sit up knowing that Rin wasn't finished healing the cut across his face. It was going to scar, but because of Obito, the blade had failed to damage the eye itself.

"That's alright," Minato said, "we still have time, and it will take a while before the enemy finds out about their casualties here. In fact, I believe that the Iwa ninja stationed at Kannabi bridge responded to back up the ninja who took Rin, so the bridge will be unprotected for a little while at least."

"Yeah!" Obito cheered. "Technically we hadn't abandoned the mission when we went after Rin. It was totally planned. Uh…right, Kakashi?"

Kakashi sighed, "that's not how it worked, but…I'm glad that I broke the ninja code." He looked at Obit's tear-stained face. "After all 'ninja who abandon the mission are scum, but those who abandon their friends are even less than scum,' isn't that right, Obito?"

The boy sniffled, "yeah, yeah that's right, so you better not be worse than scum or I'll have to beat you up with my awesome Sharingan."

Minato laughed, his smiled lighting up his face despite the shadows of the setting sun. "You guys are going to have to tell me everything once we set up camp for the night."

…

"So then Kakashi told me to copy his Chidori because Rock Release is, you know, weak to Lightning Release, and then we totally kicked those Iwa ninjas' asses."

"Is that so, Obito," Minato said. The warm light of the fire before them lit up his golden hair as if it was ablaze.

"I know you told me not to use that technique," Kakashi said, "but it was our best chance, and Obit's Sharingan counteracts the tunnel vision that the jutsu creates."

"It was a good call," Minato replied warmly, "I only wish that I'd have shown up sooner."

"You were just on time, sensei. Even if I hadn't been cut down, then I would't have lasted long once the jutsu drained my chakra."

"You've become a great leader, Kakashi."

His only response to the compliment was turning his face away from his beaming sensei with a slight tint of bashful embarrassment colouring his cheeks.

"I just wish that I hadn't put them in danger in the first place," Rin said with her knees drawn up to her chin and her arms wrapped protectively around them. "I need to become stronger, so that I don't get caught and become a burden."

"They didn't get any information about the mission out of you, did they?" Minato asked.

"Well, no but—

"Then it's alright," he said with a soft smile, "it happens which is why ninjas train their minds as well. Even in a genjutsu, those ninja couldn't get you to talk. You should be proud."

"Yeah, Rin!" Obito said cheerfully. "Y-you were amazing!"

"You held your ground, and didn't jeopardize the mission," Kakashi agreed.

"Th-thank you," she said as her face lit up like the Red Habanero herself. "I promise I'll become a great medical ninja. I have my eyes on you after all. All of you," she said pointedly to Obito who gave her a giddy smile in return.

"And you, Obito," Minato continued, "you've awakened your Sharingan. Congratulations! You're going to become a great ninja one day."

"Well, yeah, of course I will!" Obito crossed his arms stubbornly to hide how his sensei's words gave him butterflies."I'm gonna be Hokage, so I'll become the best ninja ever. Just you wait!"

"Not until after I'm Hokage first," Minato laughed, "but I'll hold you to that promise.

Obito's teammates eyes were upon him from the pride that shone in Minato's bright blue eyes to the tired but strong grey of Kakashi's to the warm and welcoming brown eyes that he knew and loved.

"Thanks, guys," Obito said with a smile, his eyes tearing up with happiness.

"Here come the waterworks," Kakashi drawled.

"Shut up, Bakashi!"

"Alright, alright," Minato laughed, "we all need to get some rest for tomorrow."

…

Kannabi bridge fell the next morning in a brilliant flash of explosive tags. Team 7 stood and watched as the rocks fell into the river leaving a massive gap between either side of the river. It wouldn't stop ninja from passing through, but Iwagakure could no longer use this bridge within Kusagakure to transport supplies to the front lines. It was a devastating blow to the enemy forces, and Minato's work on the battle field while his young teammates saved their medical ninja from the hands of Iwa ninja was another astounding victory for Konoha.

The four of them made the trek back from enemy territory and into the Land of Fire. They moved at a good pace, but didn't push themselves too hard. Kakashi was injured after all, even if he never admitted that the newly healed gashes stung as he moved.

It wasn't long before the great gates of their village hidden in the leaves. They were wide open during the day, and Konoha ninja were stationed just behind them to document the comings and goings of ninja and civilians. But Minato's team wasn't concerned with checking in just yet because right in the middle of the open gates was a beautiful woman with long red hair named Kushina who's face lit up at the sight of the four of them.

"You made it," she cried as she ran towards and enveloped them in a strong hug. "I was so worried when I heard that you were out there alone, you know," she said to the three young ninja. "And you," she said pointedly to Minato, "you single handedly finished off the Iwa ninja behind enemy lines."

"It—it wasn't that impressive," Minato said bashful. "There were only about fifty left by the time I got there."

"Not all that impressive, he says," she laughs.

"Kushina," Kakashi groaned from between her and his sensei, "you're squishing us."

"Oh!" She gasped, "so sorry about that. I sometimes forget how much strength I have, you know?" She released the young shinobi with a smile.

"Well," Rin stated, "Kakashi's injured, so we have to take him to the hospital."

"It's not that bad," Kakashi said with a shrug.

"Oh yeah," Kushina said, "I can see that, but you look dreadful Kakashi. What in the world did you do this time?"

He scowled at her, "it's just chakra exhaustion. I was using a new jutsu, but it takes up a lot of energy and I can't use it more than a few times a day."

"Well then you better march on over to the hospital so that they can make you feel better."

"I said I'm—

"That's a great idea," Rin replied as she pushed Kakashi inside the village. "Come on, Obito, you should come too."

"But I'm not injured at all!" He whined.

"That may be so, but I want to take a look at you too."

His face lit up scarlet. "O-okay!"

"Let's get together at Ichiraku Ramen tonight to celebrate," Minato called out to them.

"It better be on you, sensei," Kakashi said in snide reply.

"Hey!"

"Oh, don't complain Minato," Kushina chided, "you were probably going to pay for them all anyway."

"Yeah, well I am proud of them," he said, "but I don't want this to become a habit. I don't think my wallet could take it!"

The three young shinobi ambled towards the Konoha hospital together in relative silence until Obito suddenly cried out, "oh no!" I forgot."

"Hmm," Rin replied, "what did you forget?" Kakashi just gave him a sideways glance.

"Well, I didn't get Kakashi anything for becoming a jonin," Obito said as he scratched the back of his head, "and I know I said that I'd never get you anything, but I feel like you deserve something since you helped me rescue Rin despite abandoning the mission."

"It's fine," Kakashi said, his eyes staring up at Hokage Rock above them, "you already gave me something."

"What?" Obito exclaimed. "I did? When?"

"It's not my fault you don't remember."

"What! 'Don't remember'? I know I didn't give you anything! What are you talking about?"

Kakashi didn't grace him with a reply. _'I think I finally understand, father," he thought, 'protecting your friends is an important part of our village. You saved your teammates lives and although it lead to worse tensions between Konoha and Iwa, you let those people return home and see their families. There's never an easy answer in a war, and maybe, just maybe we just need to show some more compassion towards one another, so that our village can move forward stronger together.' _He glanced at Rin and Obito laughing together. _'I've abandoned you all once in your time of need, but I swear that I'll do anything to make sure you can keep smiling, and maybe my father could be proud of me. I know that I'm already proud of him.'_


End file.
